Stories in Storage
by Teacup Countess
Summary: The off season for Shadyside Amusement Park means one thing. Storage. (This story mainly involves my TBLT ocs)
1. Dismantled

_**A/N- This is a prologue (I plan for the main 5 to make an appearance in this one)**_

_**1- Dismantled**_

* * *

The last day of the Halloween event meant one thing.

Things would be coming down.

A couple arcade machines twitched. They had no choice but to watch as Queen Anne's Revenge was carefully removed from her moorings.

Another group of workmen unplugged the arcade cabinets and slid them onto a truck bed.

The maintenance men examined the area. "All clear!" The leader said. "Send 'em back."

The truck with the arcade cabinets drove away.

Queen Anne found herself in another truck. The foreman hopped in the cab and pulled away.

"Hey, aren't you going to visit the haunted house?" the foreman asked. Queen Anne strained to listen to the conversation. "All those animatronics need to be put in storage."

"We're full up, Jim," the man in the passenger's seat said. "Maybe after we unload everything."

The truck stopped. A couple of workmen opened the truck doors.

Queen Annie watched as the arcade cabinets were carried inside.

"Thar's Dance o' Death... Urban Brawler... Monkey Madness..." She squinted. "Cobweb Carnival..." The workmen approached her truck and dragged her into the building.

"Where'd you want this?" one of the workmen asked.

Jim exited the truck. "Put it in the first room on the left." Jim swiped a key card on the lock. The doors opened. The workmen gently placed her on a stand. They left soon after.

"Perimeter secured!" A sharp voice said.

Queen Anne blinked. "Who said that?"

One of the lamps descended. "I never knew some things in here were still conscious."

The other descended and looked Queen Anne straight in eye. "That would be me and..." A moment of silence. "When did they buy a pirate ship?"

"You have to forgive 001, she doesn't get out much," the other lamp said.

"I don't get out much? I don't get out at all!" 001 said. Her gaze darted to her companion. "That's 002. We run this place."

"'n who are those scallywags?" Queen Anne asked.

The two lamps exchanged glances. "Do all pirate ship rides talk like pirates?" They paused. "Those are the workmen."

"Well, me brother Ramses thinks he's a pharaoh, 'n Sun Tzu... Chinese Warship... oh, I forgot Olaf natters like a vikin'!"

"001, it all depends on the theming of the ride!" 002 said. She paused. "Oh, they're back!"

The doors to Queen Anne's room opened. The men placed seven life-sized humanoid figures in the room.

001 descended, then recoiled in horror.

"And what are these?" she asked her colleague.

"Animatronics," 002 said.

"Don't worry. They won't move without their control module," an eerie voice said.

Queen Anne's gaze darted to the wall. "Who's that?"

"Oh, me?" the voice replied. "Do you want my full name?"

"Aye," Queen Anne said.

"My official name is Haunted Manor, but you may call me Haunt." There was a slight chuckle. "I see you've met my puppets."

"Hello, have you come for my wedding? I can't... I can't find my bouquet... where am I?" A husky female voice said.

Queen Anne cringed.

"Sorry, just entertaining myself with the audio cues."

"You look like you've seen a ghost. Ah, then you must've met my bride!" The deep voice laughed.


	2. Another Day

**_2- Another Day_**

* * *

The sun rose. 001 and 002 were the first to wake up.

"Well, our room is secure," 001 said. "They probably won't be putting anything else in. Can't say anything about the others."

"Others?" Queen Anne asked.

"I don't know how many other Agents of L.A.M.P. are in here, but there are two per room," 002 said.

Haunt woke up. "Well, there's still room with me." She laughed. "Oh, great, they're here."

Haunt fell silent. Something was shuffling in her room.

Roughly forty-five minutes later, Haunt spoke up.

"Carousel horses?" Haunt asked, irritated.

"Ahem!" A feminine, gangster-esque voice said. "I believe you're forgettin' someone."

"Oh," Haunt groaned. "This is Swing."

"No, no, no," Swing said. "I ain't the whole of Swing. I'm just the brains of the operation."

Haunt groaned. "You haven't met her. She's a decent walk away from either of us."

"I get a good view of Ol' Baron from where I am. That big wooden beast. He made quite the racket rumblin' through." A chuckle. "Did I tell ya that Tilly made someone hurl?"

"That's enough!" A sharp voice said.

"Tilly?"

"The tilt-a-whirl." 002 said. "Got her last year."

"I hated her. Bragged about her "kill count"."

002 shook. "Hear something?" 001 said.

"Faintly!"

"I'm not spending the winter with... ugh!" A sharp female voice said.

"I think I know who Tilly's roommate is. Viper!"

"And don't tell me to calm down, old man!" Viper shrieked.

"Viper, there's no need for such commotion," A calmer male voice said.

"That's Baron," 001 said. "He's the oldest ride in the place."

* * *

The red-haired man strode in through the door. "Mr. McGroarty, is it?" Jim said.

The man nodded. "Call me Robbie."

"All right, I've read your resume and... you'll be a perfect fit for maintaining our attractions."

"Wait till I tell Mom and Dad," Robbie said. "I can get a job after college."


	3. Heirlooms

**_3- Heirlooms_**

* * *

Lampy awoke to find himself in a box. He opened the top. "Hello, is anyone there?"

Kirby was the only one of the five unboxed. "Did you forget what today is?"

"Uh?" the lamp said. He scratched his head with his plug.

"We're moving!"

"Moving?" A french-accented voice said. The old Food processor from the apartment moved the box lid.

"I'm scared!" Blanky whimpered.

"Don't be," Toaster assured him. She left the box and pointed her lever. "Hmm, Kirby, Lampy, Blanky, where's Radio?"

Kirby narrowed his eyes. "Oh, that fool got into a tussle with someone square and blue."

"Oh, Ongaku-san," Mel the food processor said. "Robbie always had an appreciation for the retro. There was no way he'll let a still-functioning stereo go to waste."

"And how many other more of the "Cutting Edge" are in this truck?" Lampy asked.

"We're no longer Cutting Edge," Ongaku-san said. Radio hopped out of the box the two shared. "Technology moved on. We were lucky. Digit got sold on eBay. Clarence is still in the apartment."

"And I'm still here!" Plugsy groaned. He shook his head. "Actually, I volunteered. That new MacBook was getting on my nerves."

* * *

The truck stopped at another apartment complex. Robbie picked up one of the boxes and carried it in. He set the box on the floor.

His phone rang.

"Hello?" he said. "Dad, thanks for the appliances."

The men carried a couple more boxes into the apartment.

"Don't worry, I got some from Grandma as well." A pause. "Well, that purple lamp, the food processor, and the stereo. Tomorrow, I start my new job at Shadyside Amusement park."


	4. Sneaking In

_**4- Sneaking In**_

* * *

A few days after moving in, the appliances were all settled.

Ongaku-san, Radio and Lampy had their places in Robbie's room. Mel and Toaster had the kitchen counter. Kirby was in the closet. Blanky remained on a living room chair. Plugsy had an end table.

And every day, they would make sure the house was spotless before Robbie came back.

"I wonder, where does Master work?" Lampy asked.

"He's an engineer now!" Blanky said.

Lampy thought for a while. Robbie always took a bag with him to work.

"You're not gonna sneak in there, are you?" Plugsy asked.

"Well, I want to see what he's working on," Lampy said. "Can't help but be curious."

Radio jumped off his shelf and rushed toward Lampy. "Looks like you need an accountability buddy. I would love to be of service."

Kirby shook his head. "This won't end well."

* * *

Lampy and Radio had no idea how they managed to be undetected. Robbie must've been in a hurry.

Robbie carried his bag to the work area. Lampy and Radio opened the bag and escaped once Robbie was at lunch break.

A huge iron snake, or what looked like one, lay on the shelf. One of the wheels was disconnected.

"Can't the new guy finish me before runnin' off?" a sharp voice said. "I was set for an axle replacement."

Lampy jumped up onto the work table.

"And who brought the little lamp?" she groaned.

"Oh, hi, I..."

The overhead lamp turned on, showering Lampy in extreme brightness.

"We already got a lamp," the iron snake said.

Lampy jumped off the table. "What is that thing?"

The overhead lamp shifted. He was a bronze color. "Oh, me? Call me Doc. I help the engineers keep everything repaired. Like Viper here."

"And what is Viper?" Radio asked.

"Haven't you seen a roller coaster train?" Viper sneered.

"Oh, I remember working at Coney Island; I had a hot dog stand beside a beautiful wooden one," Radio said.

Viper scrunched up her face.

"Here at the warehouse, it's like an ordinary repair shop, only my patients are big."


	5. Servos and Screwdrivers

_**5- Servos and Screwdrivers**_

* * *

Lampy and Radio dove into the bag once Robbie returned. He tightened Viper's wheel.

"All right, it's all set." A group of workmen carried Viper off the shelf.

Robbie walked off.

Lampy peeked out of the bag to find another workman. A figure of a pale woman clutching a cello sat in front of the work table.

"What's that?" Lampy whispered. "Looks human."

"Let me have a look," Radio said. "That's no human. It's too pale to be one."

The workman slowly removed the figure's face, revealing a robotic endoskeleton.

Lampy cringed. "What even is that thing?"

The workman inspected the wiring. "Hmm, nothing's wrong with any mechanism." He replaced the robot's face. "Why not run it through testing?"

A while later, the robot's hands began moving. It silently moved the cello bow across the strings.

"Hey, why isn't it making noise?" One of the workmen asked.

"It syncs up to the audio," another said. "It can't actually play the cello."

The workmen carried the robot away.

* * *

"Humanoid robots?" Ongaku-san asked. "Hmm, you may have seen an animatronic."

"Anima-what?" Lampy asked.

"Animatronic," the stereo replied. "They're typically used by the entertainment industry, like theme parks." Plugsy dragged a paper over.

"Master works at a warehouse for an Amusement Park."

"He tightened a roller coaster's axle," Lampy said.

"I guess he's only doing maintenance on less delicate matters. Robotics is a tricky subject." Ongaku-san said.


	6. Recycled, Refurbished

_**A/N- This was partially inspired by the Czech translation of Worthless.**_

_**6- Recycled, Refurbished**_

* * *

Lampy and Radio returned to the warehouse.

Doc was listening to a broadcast. "Green Valley Appliances are made from recycled material." Doc pointed his plug at the radio.

"Ah, that's where I was manufactured," Doc said.

"So, you're..."

"Made from old appliances?" Doc said. "That's the wonder of recycling. Everything the crusher, well, crushes comes back as something new. Or at least the metal."

Robbie and a couple workmen returned to the workroom. He laid a container of candy apple red paint on the table. One of the carousel horses' paint was chipping.

One of the workmen dipped a paintbrush and covered the part of the saddle.

The men left, possibly to wait for the paint to dry.

"And this is?" Radio asked.

Doc turned to a small TV with a crude paper nurse hat laying on top of her set. "Nancy, why not show them."

"Sure thing!" The TV said. Her screen twitched, then turned to a shot of the carousel in operation.

"Well, that's... interesting." Lampy said.

The workmen carried the carousel horse out of the room. It was soon replaced with a square roller coaster train.

"Oh, Doc, it's so good to see you!" The train said. His gaze darted to Lampy and Radio.

"Baron, these two sneaked in," Doc said.

Lampy backed away.

"You weren't the first," Baron chuckled. "Anyway, welcome."


	7. The Rest of the Day

**_7- The Rest of the Day_**

* * *

"Robbie," Jim said. "You're wanted in a room. We can't lift the thing we need you to repaint."

Robbie left the workroom.

Baron just glanced at the group. "Oh, yes, our new Pirate Ship may need a few touch ups. Her name is Queen Anne's Revenge."

Radio perked up and played a clip from a radio broadcast. "Gentlemen, that's Queen Anne's revenge straight ahead. One thousand shillings to whoever can take its captain alive."

Baron chuckled. "Someone gets the reference."

* * *

"Repairman!" 001 said. "Everyone stay still."

Robbie entered the room, can of paint in hand.

He ran a hand along one of Queen Anne sides. "Ah, here's where I need to paint." He dipped the brush in the paint and brushed the reddish-brown color over the chipped part.

Afterwards, he left.

Lampy and Radio scampered down the hall, trying not to be seen. They slipped into the room.

"Did Doc send you?" one of the overhead lamps said.

"I guess so," Lampy said.

Queen Anne shuddered. "'tis goin' t' loot a while fer this t' dry."

"So, this is..." Radio asked.

"I be Queen Anne. Ye must 'ave traveled wit' one o' th' repairmen."

"That's what Baron said," Lampy told Radio.

"Though ye're too big t' be a Smart phone."

* * *

Robbie pulled into a parking spot in front of Gasparo's pizza.

Lampy poked his head out of the bag.

"Don't worry, humans need food to stay alive."

The claw machine, or at least the claw part, twitched. Lampy could swear he saw her look out the window.

Robbie emerged a few minutes later, carrying a sub and a bottle of soda. The car pulled away.


	8. Gambling

_**8- Gambling**_

* * *

A large crowd had gathered in the kitchen.

"Place your bets!" Plugsy announced. "What kind of sub did Robbie order?"

Kirby rolled over. "Really? Must you do this every time Robbie orders take out?"

Mel chuckled. "These betting pools are not my idea. Blame a certain... large lamp."

Plugsy grumbled. "Anyway, one bet for tuna..."

Ongaku-san waved his plug.

"One bet for Bacon Cheeseburger."

Radio raised his plug.

Plugsy turned his gaze to Kirby. "Anyone else?"

"I don't gamble," Kirby groaned, wheeling away.

"I vote ham and cheese!" Lampy called out.

Plugsy smiled and wrote down Lampy's vote.

* * *

Kirby and Blanky waited in the living room until the gambling pool stopped.

"All right!" Plugsy looked at his list. "Everyone said something different." He strode over to the fridge. "Let's find out."

Fred, the fridge, cringed.

"Drumroll please."

Ongaku-san played a sound that could roughly be described as Drum roll.

Fred opened the door.

"And it's... chicken parm?"

A series of anguished wails answered the question. "We were all wrong."


	9. Dark Ride

_**9- Dark Ride**_

* * *

Kirby shuddered. "Their vacuum is broken, they said. Get one from home."

Lampy and Radio peered out of the bag. "Well, welcome to the warehouse."

Kirby snorted. "That office was filthy." He paused. "And that lamp seemed to follow me with her eyes."

The three made their way to the work room. A series of small cars lay in a circle. Black-and-red paint with a stone cherub on the front.

"And what are these?" Lampy asked.

Doc sprung to life. "Oh, we have a dark ride in our establishment." He gestured to the nearest one. "Needs new paint..." the next one "...lap bar's coming loose..."

"And where'd Robbie get to?" Radio asked.

"He's still in the office," Kirby said.

* * *

"Your performance the past few weeks has been great," Jim said.

Robbie smiled. "Well, I've had lots of experience repairing stuff. When I was fourteen, I help take down a lamp. My mom owns a repair shop and that old teal ceiling lamp was beginning to fizzle out. We had to install a new one."

Lampy looked through the gap in the door.

"Goodbye, Igor," Radio whispered. "He won't be forgotten."

"He's dead?" Kirby asked.

Lampy nodded.

* * *

Robbie returned to the workroom. He picked up a wrench and proceeded to tighten the bolt holding a car's lap bar. A few more workmen joined in: Painting, tightening, replacing wheels.

"Oh, what beautiful work these men do," a voice said once the work room was clear. "Everything is as new as when they shipped it in."

The three appliances shuddered. Nancy crackled on, showing the interior of the dark ride.

"That's just Haunt," Doc said.


	10. Melted Memories

_**10- Melted Memories**_

* * *

Doc watched Robbie pick up his bags and his vacuum.

"It's odd," Doc said. "I think I've seen them before."

Nancy crackled on.

"And how do ya know?" Nancy asked.

Doc shuddered. "I just know."

Nancy paused. "Hey, what did they use to make you?"

Doc scratched his head. "I'm made of scrap metal melted down and shaped into a new form." He paused. "It's too late, we've got to..." he whispered in a singsong voice.

Nancy's image darkened a bit.

"You were good for a week, Doc," Nancy said. "Now you're at it again."

"Oh, sorry," Doc replied. "It's every time I think of that, it just comes to me." Another pause. "Just try to relax, it's a...

"House of Wax?" Nancy finished. "I'd send you to a shrink, but they don't offer therapists for appliances."

"With fiber optics cast in plastic..." Doc muttered. "Was I a phone in a past life?"

"According to last week, you were a lamp."


	11. A Tale of Two Lamps

_**11- A Tale of Two Lamps**_

* * *

Robbie pulled into the parking lot of his Mother's repair shop. In the passenger seat was a take-out container.

Lampy swallowed. "I don't want to go in the back room. It's not the same anymore with Igor gone."

Radio paused. "Well, his replacement might be nice."

Lampy, Radio and Kirby were carried into the repair shop, while Robbie helped his mother clean up.

Once the two left the back room, Lampy looked up.

"Oh, did you come to see me?" A familiar voice said. The lamp descended. "I do love the company."

"Igor, but we thought you were dead?"

The lamp chuckled. "I did too, but my replacement was... not up to standards. Something about... not all her parts were included. Mrs. McGroarty got a full refund on her though."

"So, instead of being replaced..."

"I was repaired and put back in my spot."

Kirby glared at his two companions. "There you go, jumping to conclusions! I knew we should've stayed to listen to the full talk."

"You're one to talk," Radio retorted.

Igor chuckled. "I just had a frayed wire, that's all. Nothing electrical tape can't fix." He paused. "You think I was going to let that kill me? I've been up here for decades."

* * *

Doc unplugged himself and hopped to the office. A single pearl white lamp hung from the ceiling.

"Still thinking about it?" Doc asked. Nancy scuttled over.

The lamp gave a sigh. "I would've been active sooner, if some idiot at the factory didn't pack the wrong parts. I almost got placed at a small repair shop.

"So, how'd you..."

"They sent me back, put the right parts in and I was brought here."

"I'm sorry, Celeste," Doc said.

"That's all past," Celeste assured him.


	12. Home Again

_**12- Home Again**_

* * *

"Where were you guys?" Toaster asked.

"Well," Lampy said. "Robbie stopped off at the repair shop."

Plugsy hid behind a fake plant. "Don't mention that."

"Forgive him," Ongaku-san said. "Last time he was in the repair shop, that ceiling lamp scared him half to death."

"Oh, that's Igor," Lampy said.

Plugsy glanced at Ongaku-san and Mel. "And it was the night before Halloween too."

"He went to get his switch tightened," Mel said.

Ongaku-san groaned. "Let me comfort him." He hopped off.

The computer, a tiny Samsung laptop, flashed on. "Hello, is anyone there? What's going on?" Her voice was high and squeaky.

"Well, Sammy," Ongaku-san said. "Our table lamp is afraid of going to the repairman."

"Oh, like the one they took me to?" Sammy asked. The image on her screen was a smiling face.

"No, Sammy," Plugsy replied. "You had to be taken in because you caught a bug."

Sammy coughed twice. "Don't blame me. Robbie clicked on something he shouldn't."


	13. X Marks the Spot

**_13- X Marks the Spot_**

* * *

Lampy hopped down the hall towards Robbie's room.

"That's not nice," a reedy voice said. "I don't say that kinds of things."

The game console sat on a shelf below the TV. Tikal blinked on.

"What is it, Rex?"

"I sense the presence of another console of my type," the reedy voice said. "This one's... very competitive." Rex shook. "I'm receiving another message." A pause. "I know that's a lie. I don't even have a mother. You don't either, X-Terminator."

Tikal noticed Lampy. "X-boxes are a rather hostile bunch." Rex coughed. "I mean, ones that are mostly used for competitive games."

"X-terminator in the apartment next door has quite the vocabulary," Rex said. "Too bad half of it I can't repeat in front of polite company." He twitched again. "Are you just repeating everything your master screamed into the headset? You must be." A pause. "Oh, he went offline."

Lampy hopped back to the living room. "It's okay, guys, the console's fine."

"Just havin' conversations with himself?" Plugsy asked.

"No, another has been sending him messages," Lampy replied.

"Oh, X-terminator, I'm not human, so words like that are useless," Rex said.

* * *

Queen Anne watched as one of the animatronics was lifted out of her room: a masked organist with scarlet hair in a ponytail.

"Haunt, do ye know where th' lamp 'n radio went?"

Haunt chuckled. "Oh, it's their master's day off. They're probably at home."

"Oh, serves me right fer nah payin' attention."

Another chuckle. "That and the schedule is right outside my door. 004 reads it to me."


	14. Insert Coin

**_14- Insert Coin_**

* * *

"I told you, mom!" A little boy said. "The claw machine is rigged."

Robbie looked up from his pizza. The claw machine sat against the back wall right by the door. He finished his pizza and walked over to the machine.

* * *

Claudia tried not to laugh. "Kid didn't have the strength needed to get anything."

She felt a coin being inserted into her slot. She shook.

"Game mode." She thought.

* * *

Robbie pressed the buttons located on the machine's console. The claw jerked towards a blue teddy bear.

The claw descended, taking one of the bear's legs and dragging it to the drop off point. The bear fell through the slot. Robbie picked up the bear and walked to the little boy's table. "Is this what you wanted?"

The little boy nodded. "Thanks, Mister!" he said.

His mother looked at him. "See? The machine wasn't rigged."

* * *

Claudia watched the man return to his table. "Well, I'm short one bear, but they always give me new treasures when I'm running low."


	15. Runaway Roomba

**_15- Runaway Roomba_**

* * *

"Help!" A high voice shrieked. Robbie was at work, Lampy cracked the door open and saw a round hockey puck-like object dart down the hall.

"What is that?" Kirby asked.

The object turned. "Um, I didn't know I wasn't supposed to leave my apartment? How do I get back?"

"Valerie, where are you?" A voice from the other side of the apartment next door said. "You don't have enough charge."

Valerie just stared at the apartment door before slamming herself into the door a couple times. "Can someone help me back inside? I have no hands."

Lampy hopped out of the apartment. The door to Valerie's apartment creaked open.

"Oh, now I can get in." Valerie squeezed herself in. "I'm back now!"

"What's the outside world like?" a voice said.

"The carpet's too thick." Valerie groaned.

* * *

"Doc, gimme the honest answer," Nancy said. "Are you really made from a recycled lamp?"

Doc scratched his head. "Maybe I'm also part can opener... and shaver. And maybe a bit of old phone."


	16. Coffee Break

**_A/N- The song I'm using in this song is Java Jive_**

**_16- Coffee Break_**

* * *

Robbie pulled into the parking lot. "They're letting me work on one of the rides," he said. "Well, the track of one." He walked through the employee entrance.

"We like to keep our rides in top condition," Jim said. He gestured to a large mansion in the distance. "That one's today's concern."

A sign out front read "Haunted Manor".

* * *

"Hey, where'd Master go?" Lampy asked. He shuffled, feeling something fuzzy beneath him.

"Blanky?" The electric blanket shuffled out of the bag.

"I just wanted to see what you guys do," he replied.

Loud snoring filled the air. Lampy looked out of the bag. He found himself in some break room. A coffee pot sitting next to a radio sat on the nearest table.

Radio left the bag. "Excuse me," he asked the radio, "but could you get your friend to quiet down?"

The digits on the clock turned to eyes. "Darcy fell asleep again?" a digitized male voice said. "I know just the thing." He played a bit of music.

**_I love Coffee, I love Tea_**

**_I love the Java Jive and it loves me..._**

Darcy immediately woke up. "Oh, uh, are they gone yet?" She shook.

"The humans?" the radio asked. "Yes, they're gone."

"Beep," she groaned. "How long have I been asleep?"

Beep's display shifted. "Two hours?" he replied.

"Why am I like this?" Darcy said. Her gaze darted to the other appliances. "Oh, didn't I see these guys somewhere?"

Lampy hopped away.

"Nah, I'm too sleepy to remember anything," she said.

"Can you find our Master?" Blanky asked.

Another groan. "Who is he?"

"McGroarty?" Blanky replied.

Darcy gestured to a schedule on the wall. "Hey, Gooseboy," she said. "Can you read something for me?"

Lampy just stared at her.

"Please?"

Lampy hopped over to the schedule. "It says he's working on the Haunted Manor ride.'


	17. Old and New

_**17- Old and New**_

* * *

Digit looked through the holes in the box. How long was this plane ride going to last? And will they notice the box with holes in it?

"All right, we're nearing Philadelphia Airport, thank you for flying Zephyr Airlines. Remember to make sure you have all your luggage."

Digit almost knocked into a gym bag as the plane descended. The packing material kept him in place.

A man in a navy uniform picked Digit up and placed him in a trolley.

"This one's due at the postal service." He gave the box a pat.

FRAGILE: COMPUTER PARTS was written in bold across the box.

The man pushed the trolley to an armored car. Digit was placed beside a stack of letters.

* * *

Robbie clutched the coat around his frame before approaching the back of the park.

Workmen were laying pearl white track with gold support beams.

"Oh, hey," one of the workmen said. "Mind handing me that wrench?"

Robbie picked up the wrench and handed it to the man. "What's this?" he asked.

The workman just pointed to the blueprints: A roller coaster with a Roman-inspired station. "They're callin' it Stratus."


	18. Creative Outlet

**_18- Creative Outlet_**

* * *

It was a Saturday Morning. Radio had overslept. Sammy logged into her master's Spotify playlist, cranked up her volume and played the heaviest track she could think of. "Screwdriver" by an industrial metal band called Human Chop Shop.

The entire house woke up.

"Uh, sorry for the late broadcast," Radio announced. "But the sound of construction equipment is a welcome reminder of our daily life."

Sammy paused. "Just because it's called Industrial does not mean it deals with industry."

"Anyway, Robert McGroarty Jr. is expecting a package today.

* * *

Robbie carried the box in and set it on the couch. "Dad, it took me forever to find someone to fix up Mom's old TRS-80 computer. The guy said over E-mail that it now works."

Plugsy peeked around the corner. "TRS-80," he thought. "Do I know a TRS-80?"

Ongaku-san whispered in his ear. "Our old friend from the apartment? Digit."

Robbie ended the conversation soon after and opened it. Sure enough, Digit was inside.

Lampy was the first to greet Digit. "How have you been?"

The old computer laughed. "It's been quite... liberating to not be on the cutting edge anymore." He glanced at Robbie through the window. "Someone loves me for who I am and not any bells or whistles."

He hopped over to Sammy and looked at her screen. "Wait, who's this Human Chop Shop band?"

* * *

A handful of appliances gathered around a small laptop.

"Fantine," a tall, skinny lamp asked. "As your former colleague decades earlier, what's with the morbid poetry?"

Fantine, a small blue fan, just stared at him. "Six months earlier I had to go to the shop for a tune-up. Igor and I had a pleasant conversation. I told him that I still had nightmares about what happened to us. He suggested a creative outlet." She pointed to a Word Document on the laptop. "I let Cassius, Batter, and Cornelia have input."

Asimov scratched his chin with his plug. "And, does Master know you've written all of his songs?"

Fantine smiled. "Oh, no. I told him, through text, that I want to stay anonymous."

The laptop shuddered. "Are any of you guys going to finish this song?"

Asimov looked over. "May I make a few corrections?" He used his plug to hit the backspace and typed something in.


	19. Setting Up

_**19- Backstory**_

* * *

It was dark, smelly and filled with a bunch of abandoned home goods, but for Kim, this was her home.

Kim just stayed in her corner, watching as a desk lamp pick a fight with a blender.

"Who started it?" she grumbled.

Phineas and Chop pointed at each other. "He started it."

Kim shook her head. This was her only source of entertainment. Phineas was a small blue desk lamp. Chop was a blender won at some competition. Mistress really wanted the movie tickets. The other appliances mostly talked among themselves.

* * *

Toaster woke up to find Kirby gone. "Uh, where'd he go?"

"Master took him to the shop," Lampy said. The three just stared at him.

"To clean up the shop."

* * *

Kirby approached the work table. Something familiar, and shaped oddly like him, lay under a sheet. In the trash was an old motor. A thick orange substance clogged it.

Igor sneaked up behind him. "It's been ages since we've had a Kirby on the table."

Kirby whirled around. "That... that's..."

Boris uncovered the patient. Sure enough, Kirby was looking at another of his brand. "I believe he's a G5."

"Made in the late 90's," a desktop computer droned.

Robbie and his mother opened the shop. Robbie took a look in the trash can. "Yuck. What did this thing clean up?"

Mrs. McGroarty sighed. "The men at Shadyside Amusement park said it was cheese."


	20. Reaction

**_20- Reaction_**

* * *

Kirby slept in the closet, well at least he tried to sleep. He remembered seeing the motor in the trash... and the vacuum on the "surgeon's table".

The next morning, he went to talk to Radio.

"What's wrong, Kirby?" Radio asked. "You look a little spooked."

Kirby groaned. "Something I saw yesterday."

"Like?"

"How much gunk can clog up a motor." He paused. "What did they have him vacuum?"

"What exactly are you talking about?"

"There was a Kirby on the table, gutted. His motor was in the trash." He paused. "Remember when I cleaned up Kitty Litter?"

Radio nodded.

A thought struck him. He imagined himself lying on the table and Chris's father standing over him.

"That could've been me."

* * *

Kirby returned to the shop. The trash can was empty.

"Want to hear the good news?" Igor asked. "Please, show him, Hugo."

The desktop computer flashed an image onscreen. "His masters have ordered him a new motor."

Kirby cringed.


	21. Manufactured

**_21- Manufactured_**

* * *

_**Kirby Manufacturing Plant, Texas**_

Ava wheeled up to a laptop. "What's the big deal?"

The laptop cringed. "Well, we have an order in for a motor."

Ava raised an eyebrow. "Any details?"

"Well, it's for a G5."

The Avalir II vacuum backed away. "Wait, those are still in circulation?"

"This was a request from a rich guy in California."

"Oh." Ava wheeled away.

"Don't forget, tomorrow you're getting sold."

She groaned. "Don't remind me. I've been here for a month and I'm already getting cabin fever."

* * *

Ava sat on the steps, waiting for the salesman to make a deal.

"Come on, I don't have all day," the vacuum thought.

The woman walked out and caught sight of Ava.

A few minutes later, Ava found herself carried into her new home.


	22. Ava's New Home

_**A/N- Since it's the holidays... (And this chapter will reveal X-Terminator's identity)**_

_**22- Ava's New Home**_

* * *

Ava sat beside a very fake pine tree. The paper was wrapped a little too tight.

"Human holidays," she muttered, though her voice was muffled.

The woman from earlier and her daughter, a twenty-something with dyed blue hair, sat on the sofa, eating breakfast.

Ava was wheeled over towards the younger woman.

"For me?" she asked her mother.

"Well, you did need a new vacuum, and this one cost a lot of money."

The daughter removed the wrapping paper from Ava.

"Kirby... Avalir II?"

* * *

Ava found herself being wheeled into an apartment, then into a bedroom closet.

The X-box sitting on the stand slowly turned to face her.

"Oh, hi," a peppy, feminine voice said. "I'm Lexie, or as my pals on the servers call me, X-Terminator. Glad to see someone new here."

Ava just crept closer.

Lexie just stared at the TV. "Please don't tell my friends that I'm actually a girl. I wouldn't hear the end of it." Another pause. "Will they forgive me for yelling insults? I mean, the others do it."

The TV unfroze. "I see you've met my..."

"Spit it out, Ella!" Lexie said. "Everyone else knows we're dating, so this new addition has to know."

"Girlfriend," The TV finally said.

Lexie smiled. "We were last year's Christmas present."

Ella paused. "I'm sure the guys in the kitchen might want to meet you."

Ava wheeled out.

* * *

A couple hours later, Ava wheeled back in.

"There's a toaster...

"Sourdough..." Lexie giggled.

"A fridge..."

"Icy."

Ava just stared at Ella and Lexie. "Don't look at us. They named themselves for the most part."


	23. New Girl in Town

_**A/N- This chapter contains a bit of a reference to FTR, a very excellent fic.**_

_**23- New Girl in Town**_

* * *

Kirby sat in the repair shop, looking around.

"So, what exactly happened to him?" he said, pointing to the vacuum on the table.

Igor was busy scrolling through a report. "It says here that he might have been used to vacuum what he shouldn't have."

"Like kitty litter?"

Igor smiled. "No, not that. Cheese."

"I was the one who vacuumed kitty litter."

"And you survived," Igor replied.

Kirby cringed. After thirty years, the repair shop lamp still gave him the creeps.

"Your lamp friend is a lot more conversational."

Kirby paused. "Well, he does help in the shop a lot more."

"The little Marigold is a finer detail kind of fellow, while this old mutilated Beanstalk sees the bigger picture." A pause. "Metaphorically speaking."

* * *

Kirby was wheeled home. He stood in the hallway. An oddly familiar shape sat near the back of the hall.

The shape wheeled forward. Another Kirby? This one was shiny any new with blue accents on her bag and handle.

"Well, I'm not the only of my brand here," she said. She wheeled around him. "You must be one of the first produced."

Kirby groaned. "Don't remind me of my age."

"Name's Ava," the new vacuum said. "I live in apartment 204."


	24. Just a Trim

_**Just a Trim**_

* * *

For over 30 years, the pet spa was Rayna's home.

She looked at the client list.

"Well, we've got like four pets coming today... one of them's Fluff."

"Who's Fluff?" One of the clippers asked.

"That huge Persian cat that comes in."

One of the clippers, a black one they called Wally, paused.

"We just started here," his sister, a pink clipper named Wanda, added.

* * *

Wally was picked up off the charger stand. His client was Ghost, a Maltese.

Ghost shuddered. She barked a couple times, but the other appliances heard something else.

"The price I pay for beauty," she said. "Just stay still and it'll all be over."

The appliances remained still.

Minutes later, Ghost was finished. Her owner took her to the counter and paid.

Rayna looked at the clock on the wall. It was only 11 in the morning. Pets 2-4 were due to arrive.

A car pulled into the parking lot.

"Pet Number 2?"


	25. Fantom Theater

_**Fantom Theater**_

* * *

Dillon Dillo's Pizza didn't have to worry about nighttime security guards. Not with a very vigilant desk fan on the job.

Fantom hopped to the janitor's closet. Cerys, a Kirby Sentria II, sat in the midst of cleaning supplies.

"Ready?" Fantom asked.

"It sure beats sitting here all night," Cerys chuckled. Fantom grabbed a hold of Cerys's handle and the two sped off.

They went down the hall.

Cerys raised an eyebrow. "What happened to the claw machine that was here?"

Fantom hopped off Cerys and hovered nearby.

"Oh, Claudia?" the new, black machine asked. "The staff sold her. Something about... renovating the place?"

"This one's a renovated Urban Brawler cabinet," a lamp said. "His name's Cade."

Cade shook. "I was getting lonely being the only arcade machine in a college. But someone fixed me up and I'm here."

Fantom wrapped his cord around Cerys's handle once more and the two traveled towards the stage.

A sudden noise made them freeze.

"Who'd be here after dark?" Fantom thought. The shadow of a man dropped to the floor.

_Quick! Do something! _Cerys thought.

_Appliance code! _Fantom thought.

_What made that stop you? _Cerys thought.

_Well, I could, but I need your help._

* * *

The burglar crept towards one of the big arcade cabinets. Cerys revved her motor and sped towards him. Fantom jumped off and hovered in the air.

He ran screaming out of the restaurant, only to be caught by police officers. Apparently the real security guard noticed.


	26. Shakespeare in the Office

_**Shakespeare in the Office**_

* * *

Elizabeth was the queen of the office.

Fitting. Her model name was Majesty.

She belonged to the manager of a Renaissance Faire somewhere in California.

Around the end of summer was when the fun really started. The computers would gleefully share the day's events, especially her friend Hamlet. He was the owner's computer.

Elizabeth scanned through Hamlet's files. Macbeth, Julius Caesar, Othello, and King Lear had just come online. It was a weekend, so the appliances had the office to themselves... mostly.

"Excuse me, good sir, but where are the moving pictures?"

"Ah, the moving pictures?" Hamlet asked. He opened the video folder. "Right here, Your Majesty."

Elizabeth placed her plug on the mouse and clicked on one video.

A pair of washerwomen stood on stage, making rather risque jokes to the audience.

A smile crossed Elizabeth's face.

* * *

The other Majesty on the desk woke up.

"James?"

The other lamp craned his neck around Hamlet.

"Elizabeth, that's your favorite one?"

James hopped to Elizabeth's side.

"Like you know any better..."

James clicked on another video.

A stunt show involving pirates.


	27. The Season Approaches

**_The Season Approaches_**

* * *

The storage unit that Kim lived in was getting cleared out. Mistress had taken Phineas and the others, leaving Kim and Chop as the only ones left.

Mistress asked the men in charge to sell them.

Chop went to a jogger. Kim sat in the office, price tag wrapped around her handle.

"So, what exactly is this?" a man asked.

The owner of the storage center glanced at Kim.

"It's a decorated Kirby Tradition vacuum? It's been in here for years."

"There's a park down the road and we need a vacuum." The man pulled out his credit card and swiped.

Kim was wheeled towards a truck and thrown in the back.

"He could've used that Dyson vacuum for cheese, but he ruined my Kirby." Kim heard the man mutter. "Luckily someone's willing to help fix it."

* * *

A cluster of vacuums wheeled into the break room.

Darcy glanced at them.

"Oh, is the season coming closer?" She asked.

The leader, an old Hoover with black crepe paper tied around his handle, nodded.

"We're getting a little restless," a Red Dirt Devil said. "We love this warehouse, but it's not really spacious."


	28. The Ones Who Remain

_**The Ones Who Remain**_

* * *

The warehouse was all but unoccupied.

Just that morning, all the food and beverage equipment had left.

Kim wheeled around, looking for anyone.

She stopped at the break room.

"Hey," Darcy the coffee maker said. "Looking for anyone?"

Kim wheeled up to her.

"Yeah, the place is dead." Darcy added. "The Fan Club in the food equipment room might be your best bet. Or, there's a very chatty desk lamp in the Head of the Ride Department's office."

"Desk Lamp?" Kim asked.

"Yeah, the head of that department brought in something from home."

* * *

Kim wheeled down the hall.

A red desk lamp sat on the desk, chatting with a computer.

"All right, so Baron's online," a deep male voice said. "Hold on, Miss Bonnie, I got a ping from Stratus. He's online."

Kim entered the office.

The desk lamp craned her neck.

"Don't I know you from somewhere?" the lamp asked. "It's been thirty years."

"Bonnie?" Kim asked.

Bonnie nodded.

"I've moved on up in the world since we last talked." the red lamp said proudly. "I was dumped off at a repair shop for a broken neck, then I spent a while in a kid's room. He kept me for years and now he's making sure these big fellas get properly cared for."

Kim blinked.

Bonnie's computer friend blinked. "I'm getting another ping. They need someone to clean up the Haunted Manor. Workmen are on their way."

Kim wheeled out of the office. She froze right before a couple men dragged her out.

"At least I know Bonnie's okay." Kim thought.


End file.
